Венесуэльские СМИ: свобода, цензура и развитие

Mass media in Venezuela comprise the mass and niche news and information communications infrastructure of Venezuela. Thus, the media of Venezuela consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, and Internet based news outlets and websites. Venezuela also has a strong music industry and arts scene. Since 2003, Freedom House has ranked Venezuela as "not free" when it comes to press freedom. Freedom House explained that Venezuela's freedom of the press had declined during Hugo Chávez's 15 years in power, stating that the Venezuelan government's relation to the media caused a sharp decline in press freedom and expanded government information apparatus. Due to censorship in Venezuela, social networking and other methods are important ways of communication for the Venezuelan people, with social media being established as an alternative means of information to mainstream media. Venezuela now has the 4th highest percentage of Twitter users.

The main four private television networks are RCTV (1951 2007), Televen, Venevisión, and 24 hour news channel Globovisión. State television includes Venezolana de Televisión, TVes, ViVe, and teleSUR. There are also local community run television stations such as Televisora Comunitaria del Oeste de Caracas (CatiaTVe). The Venezuelan government also runs Avila TV, Buena TV, Asamblea Nacional TV (ANTV), Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias and funds the majority of Latin American network TeleSUR. The major Venezuelan newspapers are El Nacional, Últimas Noticias, and El Universal; all of which are private companies and based in Caracas. There are also many regional newspapers.

Venezuela was the ninth country in the world to have television, introduced in 1952 by Marcos Pérez Jiménez. By 1963 a quarter of Venezuelan households had television; a figure rising to 45% by 1969 and 85% by 1982. By 1970s, Venezuela surpassed Argentina as the most urbanized of South America nations. The benefits that urbanization has brought in terms of ease of communication were offset by social problems.

The Venezuelan media initially supported Hugo Chávez after his election in 1998, supporting the changes he proposed for Venezuela. However, when the media began to report "negative realities" occurring in Venezuela, the Chávez government began to view the independent media as an enemy. The independent Venezuelan press then became opposed to Chávez, fearing that he would ruin the economy and Venezuela's democracy. The Chávez government responded by making laws that would threaten the revocation or fining of media organizations, while Chávez and his officials would also combat the media by calling out reporters by name, which angered members of the media, sparking dubious reports and articles. In 2004, the Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television was passed, and in 2010 it was extended to the Internet and social media in 2010, requires media companies to "establish mechanisms to restrict, without delay, the dissemination of messages." By the time of Chávez's death in 2013, he left a transformed media atmosphere in Venezuela with the media organizations that opposed him being silenced and an expanding state media as a result. The Venezuelan government would manipulate foreign exchange rates for media organizations so that they could no longer import their resources or fine them heavily.

In an article by El Tiempo (Anzoátegui), journalists explain reasons of why they have moved from traditional media outlets such as newspapers and organizations to websites. Journalists explained how after allegations of censorship after the sale of Cadena Capriles organization and El Universal, journalists have found refuge on the Internet. Some journalists have even created their own websites, though with some difficulties. This includes a Venezuelan imitation of Naked News called Desnudando La Noticia (Stripping The News).

The use of social media has grown to be important in Venezuela because of government censorship preventing press freedom in other forms of media.

Large newspaper organizations include El Universal (Caracas) and El Nacional (Caracas). In 2014, newspapers throughout the country have reported shortages of paper and have depleted their reserves; resulting in cuts of services for customers. Despite this, the Venezuelan government has announced the creation of two new state newspapers in September 2014. In October 2014, the Vice President of The Commission of Propaganda, Agitation and Communication of the PSUV, Ernesto Villegas also announced the Venezuelan government's acquisition of Diario Vea. In 2013, 90 newspapers were in circulation in Venezuela. Following the election of President Nicolás Maduro, 55 newspapers in Venezuela stopped circulation due to difficulties and government censorship between 2013 and 2018. By 2019, the number of newspapers circulating in Venezuela dropped to 28. Freedom House explained that Venezuela's freedom of press had declined during Hugo Chávez's "15 years in power", stating that the Venezuelan government's relation to the media "led to sharp declines in press freedom and a vastly expanded government information apparatus". After the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) implemented the Resorte Law claiming that "democratic security" was in danger and imposed heavy fines on private media, the media responded by "softening their coverage of national and international news". This law also requires all media outlets to air live government broadcasts (cadenas) "which the government issues frequently, at random, and without regard for regular programming." In the Annual Report of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights 2013, the Organization of American States' Inter American Commission on Human Rights stated that "the Penal Code of Venezuela, the Organic Code of Military Justice, and the Law on Social Responsibility in Radio, Television and Electronic Media (Resorte Law) all have sections that are not compatible with Inter American standards on freedom of expression". They also reported that the media had been attacked by government authorities. There are reports of authorities destroying work and equipment belonging to the media, arrests and interrogations of media correspondents, reporters being held in prison being "civil rebellion" after expressing an opinion, journalists being accused of being spies and multiple reports of arrests of journalists after reporting on alleged election irregularities. Media workers have also been physically and verbally assaulted by government authorities, had received death threats against them and their families and had been intimidated by both government supporters and authorities following the death of Hugo Chávez. Cartoonists, journalists, writers and artists were sent death threats through "phone calls, text messages to their mobile telephones, and through social network Twitter". During a radio interview, Nicolás Maduro blamed Televen for violence occurring in the country after the election and accused Globovision of being "fascist". The Venezuelan government has also been accused of not allowing public media outlets to attend official events and places such as the National Assembly, where only government run media outlets are allowed to participate. In the World Report 2014 by Human Rights Watch, the Venezuelan government "has expanded and abused its powers to regulate media". The report says that "sharp criticism of the government is still common in several newspapers and some radio stations, fear of government reprisals has made self censorship a serious problem". The report also criticized the amended telecommunications law where the government could take away concessions to private media outlets if it is "convenient for the interests of the nation". In a 2015 report by the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), over 25 media organizations had changed in ownership between 2010 and 2015 with the new owners having "a direct relationship" to local governments and the national government that was linked to Chavismo.

In the Annual Report of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights 2013, the Organization of American States' Inter American Commission on Human Rights said that it had received information about "persistent use of stigmatizing declarations by public officials to discredit journalists, communicators, and members of the opposition who express ideas, opinions or disseminate information contrary to the interests of the Venezuelan Government". President Maduro has frequently accused the media of "psychological war", "media terrorism", being "ultra rightwing" and "ignorant, perverse and manipulators". President Maduro had also called the newspaper El Nacional, "El Nazi–onal" and said that "[b]uying El Nacional is like buying muriatic acid and breakfasting on muriatic acid every day. That’s right, it’s poison! I don’t buy it, I don’t recommend that anyone buy it either, really; not even the people of the opposition because if they do they will make a bad impression." The Inter American Commission on Human Rights stressed how important it was for "creating a climate of respect and tolerance for all ideas and opinions" in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan internet freedom declined in 2017. The country is moving towards the increase of internet censorship and the increase of online surveillance. Social media is the route protesters are taking in order to raise their concerns. This has led to the implementation of content filtering and online surveillance by the government of the country. The government justifies that the internet is used to promote hate speech.

According to media protection organizations, Venezuelans "have been forced to find alternatives as newspapers and broadcasters struggle with state efforts to control coverage", with a growing trend of Venezuelans using online news media to bypass government censors. websites such as Informe21, El Diario de Caracas, La Patilla Agencia Carabobeña de Noticias and Efecto Cocuyo have emerged to counter the censorship.